Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Summary: When she fights, his attention is always drawn to her, at her graceful movements, shocked at the poetry of her form. ByaRuki, oneshot
Alright, this pairing has caught my attention and held it. I really love the idea of these two together, so I thought why not write a fic for them? I've never written a Byakuya and Rukia fic before, so I thought I'd give it a shot! It's rather short, but I figured what the hell. Haha.
Motion
She is, he thinks, the epitome of grace.
This woman, with her hair a sweaty mess on her head, a tomboyish demeanor, and an easy disposition, wouldn't be what most would think of when they pictured grace and utter poise.
Some, he believes, would picture Hinamori Momo, with her girlish nature and face that just screams demure.
Others, would picture the loud blonde Matsumoto Rangiku, despite her curves and lazy attitude, many considered her the one with most grace in Soul Society.
Even others still, might even picture the lovely Ise Nanao, because whoever has to put up with her captain would be hard pressed to learn grace.
Kuchiki Byakuya thinks otherwise.
Being a man of little words, his opinion often matters, since most people think that when the quiet speak, they speak the most profound of words, but in this race, he thinks he would be outnumbered if he voices the fact that this raven haired, jewel-eyed woman was the most graceful, articulate woman he'd ever laid eyes on.
Rukia.
Just now, as he watches her, he knows that he is right.
She twirls through the air, her body looping and moving through the space, and she lands on her feet with no sound whatsoever. With a slight cry, she launches forward with her zanpakutou in the direction of her sparring partner. He dodges the weapon, but his movements, while also graceful, are clearly masculine and demanding.
Hers, however, are different, Byakuya notes.
She dodges one of the Abarai's fists, slapping it down with the flat of her hand, a wickedly attractive smirk gracing her lips as she does so, and then launches herself forward, saying a few kido spells as he tries to dodge.
His eyes capture every movement, every ballet-like set of footsteps, all the lines of the arms, her muscles stretching beneath her skin in the heat of the sun. Droplets of sweat move down her forehead and his eyes catch every slight motion.
He drinks it in, despite himself.
His eyes follow her around the empty field, every patch of grass she steps on in her movements to remain untouched by her friend.
She's there…
And she's gone.
A normal person wouldn't be able to capture her movements, but a skilled shinigami can follow them with ease, and Byakuya likes what he sees, impressed by her growth as a fighter.
Her sparring match with the redhead lasts for a while, well into the evening, when the sun sinks to be just a sliver against the horizon.
The dance ends.
Rukia moves so she is standing upright, hands on her hips, breathing deeply in and out, chest heaving. Sweat droplets collect on her forehead and arms. She runs a hand through her hair, sticky with sweat.
She grins at Renji and the two walk over to meet him. Rukia suddenly takes on a sheepish look as she smiles at him, her features contracting prettily beneath her ivory skin.
"Sorry it took so long, brother." Rukia says, and even the rough cadence is ever so elegant and pleasing to his ears.
But maybe, he wonders, it isn't about the voice, but more about the owner.
"It's fine." He replies, and though the tone is slightly clipped, there is more kindness there than in a while, which he knows Rukia notices. For all her boyish ways, she was very perceptive - something he thinks she inherited from her sister.
She grins widely, like a child.
Renji looks from one to the other and rolls his eyes. Byakuya shoots him a glare that causes the red haired fukutaichou to look down, his face as crimson as the strands of his hair.
His eyes aren't on him for long, for he finds himself drawn back to the raven haired girl in front of him. She smiles at him warmly, and he feels a piece of him, long iced over, thaw and break away from the rest.
She approaches him, her movements unearthly graceful and angelic, and he can see no trace of tiredness on her features. The sun lights her features up, making her look almost as if she is on fire.
Her eyes bore into his and now he feels like he's burning.
"Ready to go?" Rukia asks, her lips curve upward in a smile, and her stomach growls. Figures. She would be the last person to tell him if she was hungry, not wanting to displease him.
"Yes." Byakuya replies, and her melodic laugh dances in the air between them. He doesn't know why she laughs - all he knows is that he doesn't mind the sound of it. Not one bit. "And on the way back, let's get something to eat."
"Sounds fine with me." Renji drawls, looking at his taichou, who raises a skeptical eyebrow.
"Because I was talking to you." Byakuya chides gently, fighting a smile. It is strange how these two people - both originally from Rukongai - would be the ones that make him the happiest.
Again, it is not something he minds.
"I thought it was a general statement." Renji offers, looking pleadingly at Rukia, as if he thinks her opinion would change Byakuya's mind.
Maybe, he thinks, maybe he isn't so far off with that.
"We could…" Rukia starts, her voice quiet and hopeful, "…all get something to eat."
"Yes." Byakuya clips, "Yes, we could."
Rukia knows to take that as an agreement, and not a dismissal. So she just smiles and looks over at Renji, who is grinning impishly down at her. He sees her give Renji a thumbs up, and he gives a slight chuckle at that.
"Then, let's go." He says coolly before he begins to walk off.
He can barely hear her feet as she races to catch up with him, but she does - as does his fukutaichou - and Rukia sighs with relief as she matches his stride.
The two walk together, so in sync with one another that they might as well be the same person.
Again, Byakuya doesn't see any problem with this.
End.
I'm…not really sure what this is, exactly. I liked writing it, though! I hope that everyone else enjoyed reading this. It is my first attempt at a ByaRuki, and I hope that y'all liked it! This was originally a Naruto fanfic, but I tweaked it to meet my current Bleach obsession lol. So I would love it if y'all reviewed this! I'd love to hear your opinions!
Thanks for reading!